a new chapel to be built in 1220, he
himself laying the first stone. Thirty years later, or thereabouts, he
made certain concessions to the Abbot of Westminster--what they were we are
not told--but it is certain that they, in some way or other, infringed the
rights of the citizens of London in the County of Middlesex. The king
promised to compensate them for the loss they would sustain; but failing
to get their consent by fair promises, he resorted to his favourite
measure of taking the city into his own hands. For fifteen years the
dispute between the citizens and the Abbot as to their respective rights
in the County of Middlesex was kept alive, and was at last determined by a
verdict given by the barons of the exchequer, which completely
justified(222) the attitude taken up by the citizens of London.

(M141)

In 1230 he extorted a large sum of money from the citizens at a time when
he was meditating an expedition to the continent for the purpose of
recovering lost possessions. The citizens, however, were not the only
sufferers. The religious houses were heavily mulcted, as were also the
Jews, who, whether they would or not, were made to give up one third of
their chattels.(223) Again in 1244, the citizens of London and the Jews
were made to open their purse-strings that the king might the better be
able to pay his wine merchant, his wax chandler, and his tailor; but even
then his creditors were not paid in full.(224)

Only once does it appear that the king's conscience pricked him for the
extortions he was continually practising on the citizens. This was in
1250, when he called the citizens together at Westminster, and begged
their forgiveness for all trespasses, extortions of goods and victuals
under the name of "prises," and for forced loans or talliages. Seeing no
other way out of it, the citizens acceded to his request.(225) As recently
as the previous year (1249) he had exacted from them a sum of L2,000.(226)

(M142)

Henry had been crowned at Gloucester soon after his accession.(227)
Nevertheless he was again crowned--this time in London in 1236, after his
marriage with Eleanor of Provence. The city excelled itself in doing
honour to the king and queen as they passed on their way to Westminster:
but the joy of the citizens was damped by the king refusing to allow
Andrew Bukerel the mayor to perform the customary service of assisting the
chief butler at the coronation banquet. It was not a time for raising